garrison beau scott

Every author, however modest, keeps a most outrageous vanity chained like a madman in the padded cell of his breast. ~Logan Pearsall Smith

Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves; but I give it fair quarter, wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others who are within his sphere of action: and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life. ~Benjamin Franklin

Vanity dies hard; in some obstinate cases it outlives the man. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

When it came time for me to graduate Brooks, and hang the grad show, we were asked to include a portrait of ourselves. Through various assignments and other projects, I had taken a bunch of self-portraits, and could have easily done so again, but I wanted something different. I wanted something that had nothing to do with my pre-concieved ideas of self-representation.

Obviously, there was no shortage of amazing photographers that I’d be able to enlist to aid me in the task of committing my mug to film, but as soon as I began to make a list, I stopped with the first name that came to me.

Jason Madara.

There’s a great bit of story that goes with the shot, but that’ll have to be told another time. Suffice to say, my expression was at the center of it, and masterfully conjured up by Jason as a part of his process. I told him I didn’t even want to see a proof sheet, just pick out the one he liked best, and this is what he chose.

The expression also became a running joke of sorts among my friends, with a variety of Polaroids and other shots being created as an homage to this. I’ll post those one of these days.

To this day, Jason’s portrait of me remains one of my favorites. And like I said, there would have been plenty who could have done a great job of it, but where Jason made a difference that I think no one could have equaled, is it’s more than a shot of me, it’s a defining moment of my life.

Virtue would not go to such lengths if vanity did not keep her company. ~François de la Rochefoucauld

Jason is another extremely talented photographer who I just so happen am lucky enough to call friend. His work while at Brooks was way above what most of his peers were able to do. The images he was producing had an immediate impact and it was quickly understood that he’d go on to do incredible work after graduation.

Fashion isn’t easy, it’s much more than pretty people pouting. Jason has always understood this and the pictures he makes transcend fashion with a stamp of style all his own. I think Jason was at every Redhallway party but the first one and as such, I have a pretty nice chunk of his work in my collection. I look forward to sharing it in the future. More here.